Sunday, September 8
Sep. 9th, 2024 12:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gottawonderToday I am grateful for:
Gathering a large pail of huge cucumbers. We've never had so many cucumbers before. I guess they like the heat we've been having. Probably we will give most of them away, as I don't want to do pickles or relish. It is nice to just eat all the cucumbers you want though, as they are pretty expensive in the store.
A good conversation with Sister E, mostly about fluff. The moment I started talking about how tomorrow we have a consultation with a specialist about Roxy's legs, she "had to get going", of course. Apparently there is nothing in the world more boring to my family than my life.
So, tomorrow we do have a consultation with a specialist about Roxy's hind legs and our options, and it is first thing in the morning because they only do consultations in the morning. I don't know what to expect, but maybe we can do something for our dog to make her life a little better.
I went to see River, and since it was 30 C today, he wasn't up for much of anything. The outdoor arena was set up with some obstacles so we worked on those, since that is low energy work. One of the obstacles had an umbrella that you open, which if you know horses, is quite the obstacle. River was only a tiny bit concerned about it, we've never done that one before, so I spent some time getting him used to it, and giving him treats for touching it with his nose, and walking around with it, opening and closing it randomly to get him used to it. He did okay after a while.
That was about all we did before K came out to feed, at which point it seemed unfair to keep working with him, since I know that there's not much pasture left. He needs the hay.
My Sweetie showed up at the barn, part way through my session with River, back from his MS bike ride. He said his day went well today, their group finished in good time and everyone finished in good shape.
We went home and I let everyone out for a while, and during the hour or so that they have in their pastures I came inside and made supper and changed the sheets and folded some laundry.
Then I put them back in, and we watched another episode of "The Pacific".
We casually looked at kayaks for sale for my Sweetie, since the one we bought last year is not working for him and he's been back to using the canoe, which is not quite what he wants.
I checked my emails, only to see that the craft center is allowing this one person, S, to do pretty much whatever she wants. I mentioned this woman before. She puts on this "I'm only here to serve" face, while basically controlling the entire pottery group, for what reason other than she likes to be in control, I don't know.
She started out by mixing the glazes and doing a lot of research to make the studio safer, which was great. Then she started having a "beginner's class" which was meant to teach new students how to safely use the studio, policies like how to clean up after yourself and use tools like the wheel, and a few basic techniques. Then, those people were free to join one of the regular unsupervised "classes" that were just assigned times for people to use the studio freely on their own.
Well, she started by having one evening class of "beginners", then two, now she is taking over Monday, which is the day I worked, and she's just saying "well, you'll have to work another day". There aren't many other days now that aren't her "beginner" classes. These other days are when I ride River.
So what she is doing, is slowly making EVERY CLASS her "beginners", even though they are supposed to be part of the general use people after one year. These beginners are loyal to her, and NOT the executives that meet and make decisions for the craft center. Those executives seem to be treating this S person as if she is the "ruler" of pottery, even though there is no such leader, and no one voted.
These beginners are also treated like children, and never seem to feel confident that they are ABLE to work on their own. Whenever I talk to one of them, they talk like it's heresy to suggest that they leave the beginners to work on one of the other class times where we work unsupervised. It seems like classic Machiavelli to get weak followers that lack the confidence to have their own voice or direction, and NOT what pottery is supposed to be about.
I am disgusted with all of this, and I long for our own pottery shed, which is totally within our means, but my husband keeps putting that off, over and over again. It is no priority of his, that's for sure.
Gathering a large pail of huge cucumbers. We've never had so many cucumbers before. I guess they like the heat we've been having. Probably we will give most of them away, as I don't want to do pickles or relish. It is nice to just eat all the cucumbers you want though, as they are pretty expensive in the store.
A good conversation with Sister E, mostly about fluff. The moment I started talking about how tomorrow we have a consultation with a specialist about Roxy's legs, she "had to get going", of course. Apparently there is nothing in the world more boring to my family than my life.
So, tomorrow we do have a consultation with a specialist about Roxy's hind legs and our options, and it is first thing in the morning because they only do consultations in the morning. I don't know what to expect, but maybe we can do something for our dog to make her life a little better.
I went to see River, and since it was 30 C today, he wasn't up for much of anything. The outdoor arena was set up with some obstacles so we worked on those, since that is low energy work. One of the obstacles had an umbrella that you open, which if you know horses, is quite the obstacle. River was only a tiny bit concerned about it, we've never done that one before, so I spent some time getting him used to it, and giving him treats for touching it with his nose, and walking around with it, opening and closing it randomly to get him used to it. He did okay after a while.
That was about all we did before K came out to feed, at which point it seemed unfair to keep working with him, since I know that there's not much pasture left. He needs the hay.
My Sweetie showed up at the barn, part way through my session with River, back from his MS bike ride. He said his day went well today, their group finished in good time and everyone finished in good shape.
We went home and I let everyone out for a while, and during the hour or so that they have in their pastures I came inside and made supper and changed the sheets and folded some laundry.
Then I put them back in, and we watched another episode of "The Pacific".
We casually looked at kayaks for sale for my Sweetie, since the one we bought last year is not working for him and he's been back to using the canoe, which is not quite what he wants.
I checked my emails, only to see that the craft center is allowing this one person, S, to do pretty much whatever she wants. I mentioned this woman before. She puts on this "I'm only here to serve" face, while basically controlling the entire pottery group, for what reason other than she likes to be in control, I don't know.
She started out by mixing the glazes and doing a lot of research to make the studio safer, which was great. Then she started having a "beginner's class" which was meant to teach new students how to safely use the studio, policies like how to clean up after yourself and use tools like the wheel, and a few basic techniques. Then, those people were free to join one of the regular unsupervised "classes" that were just assigned times for people to use the studio freely on their own.
Well, she started by having one evening class of "beginners", then two, now she is taking over Monday, which is the day I worked, and she's just saying "well, you'll have to work another day". There aren't many other days now that aren't her "beginner" classes. These other days are when I ride River.
So what she is doing, is slowly making EVERY CLASS her "beginners", even though they are supposed to be part of the general use people after one year. These beginners are loyal to her, and NOT the executives that meet and make decisions for the craft center. Those executives seem to be treating this S person as if she is the "ruler" of pottery, even though there is no such leader, and no one voted.
These beginners are also treated like children, and never seem to feel confident that they are ABLE to work on their own. Whenever I talk to one of them, they talk like it's heresy to suggest that they leave the beginners to work on one of the other class times where we work unsupervised. It seems like classic Machiavelli to get weak followers that lack the confidence to have their own voice or direction, and NOT what pottery is supposed to be about.
I am disgusted with all of this, and I long for our own pottery shed, which is totally within our means, but my husband keeps putting that off, over and over again. It is no priority of his, that's for sure.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-09 07:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-10 03:28 am (UTC)Then again, it's no small thing to invest in your own pottery shed, and there's a lot more to pottery than throwing and putting on glaze that I don't know. At home I would have to learn how to use a kiln, and that's a big step.
If this makes sense, me saying "I want a pottery shed" is a lot like how Americans keep saying they're going to "move to Canada if this keeps up".
I do want one, and I'm half afraid of the level of commitment.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-10 05:55 am (UTC)That said - what could be a drawback to having your own potting shed? The learning experience? The cost? What does spouse think?
no subject
Date: 2024-09-10 07:51 am (UTC)B) I would have to MEAN it, and get really invested in learning how to run the kiln.
I had hoped to learn more about running the kiln (how to load it and unload it, what kind of firing schedule works with what kind of clay/glaze combination, and kiln maintenance) from the pottery class, but it's not happening.
The reality is that a lot of my hobbies could be each on their own all-consuming, and maybe need to be to achieve a level of competency.
I have to consider whether or not I am going to be serious and committed about pottery on this scale before we get a studio.
It isn't that there are actual drawbacks (except for sunk cost and the potential to ruin a LOT of pottery before I got the kiln cycle figured out), just a question of desire.
Right now, I can make pottery and have the making of the glaze and the firing and maintenance of the kilns be someone else's responsibility, and that's no small gift. It means I can still make nice things with a fraction of the personal investment in time, money, and effort.
That said, there are also limitations and irritations that come from working with a group, and that's true of almost anywhere.
So it's all about how much time and money I really want to put into it.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-10 06:14 pm (UTC)Some of my ballet peers are investing in private lessons with company dancers, and while some really learn at a great rate and excel, others do not. I don't have a gut feeling that I'd be in the former category. And if I did excel, what then? There's the satisfaction of learning better but little else. When dancers advance, the risk of injury increases as well, so there's that.
If you could put your skills to use in that you could create a small gallery of your work or offer it for sale online, there's an added benefit. If your skills could be enhanced to the point that you could create serious or niche art pieces, that's also a consideration.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-10 08:04 pm (UTC)Only going to the studio once a week does mean there's no real opportunity to hone my techniques.
I have considered a hybrid solution, that is a lot more realistic and doable, and probably this is the path I should consider: having an area, maybe still a separate small building, where we can set up the wheel and throw in there. We could still glaze and fire the finished pieces at the studio.
The reasoning behind this is that with a wheel at home, I could dedicate longer periods of time to working on my form and carving, handles. Then, once they are dry it's not a big deal to take them into town for finishing.
This would not be a big expense, and not any increase in risk of failure, and no more work really than what I am already doing other than more time to improve.
I'm not sure WHERE we could do it, maybe the heated garage if my husband were willing, but it would be a bit of a sacrifice for him to give me the space.
What would be nice, is that maybe HE would throw more again. He says he loves pottery, but never comes to the class anymore. I think it would be good for him to do something creative again, since he seems to focus on doing physical things.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-10 09:35 pm (UTC)